Description

LDH is also called lactic acid dehydrogenase. It is an enzyme. An enzyme is a protein that speeds up certain chemical reactions in your body. LDH helps your cells make energy. It is found in almost all the tissues in your body. The largest amounts of LDH are found in your muscles, liver, kidneys, and red blood cells.

If disease or injury damages tissues that have LDH, their cells release the enzyme into your bloodstream or other body fluids. It's normal to have some LDH in your blood and body fluids. But if your LDH levels are high, it may be a sign of certain diseases or injuries.

An LDH test alone can't show what is damaging your tissues or where the damage is located. So, an LDH test is usually done with other types of tests that can help diagnose the problem.

What is it used for?
LDH is mainly used to check for tissue damage. Many types of acute (sudden) and chronic (long-lasting) conditions can damage tissues and cause high LDH levels. So LDH testing may be used in many different situations from bone and muscle injuries to monitoring treatment for cancer. For example, an LDH test may be used to:

• Help diagnose and/or monitor diseases that affect the:
• Blood, including anemia
• Liver
• Lungs
• Kidneys
• Heart, including heart attack
• Pancreas
• Brain and spinal cord, such as encephalitis and bacterial meningitis
• Help monitor conditions that may get worse over time, such as muscular dystrophy and HIV
• Help diagnose certain severe infections
• Find out how serious certain types of cancer may be, including multiple myeloma, lymphoma, leukemia, testicular cancer, and melanoma.
• Check whether treatment for certain types of cancer is working